On Saturday, October 19, Military Family Lifestyle Charitable Foundation (MFLCF) held its 4th Annual Honor the Warriors Bike Ride at the newly renamed Mint Hill Veterans Memorial Park on Hwy. 218. The organization works specifically with the family members of killed in action paratroopers or Special Forces.

MFLCF is in partnership with Hearts & Hammers, Purple Heart Homes, Charlotte Bridge Homes, The Patriot Charities, local businesses and hundreds of volunteers to build five homes in five years for Service Disabled Veterans who are moving to the Charlotte area.

According to Cantwell, it is estimated that over 7,000 veterans will be moving to the Charlotte area in the next couple of years.

“We just finished building the first house,” says Richard D. Cantwell, Chairman of MFLCF and former Commander for a 625-man combat engineer battalion in South Korea.

“We have four home sites in one location, and the fifth lot was a bit small for a house, so Lowe’s has donated a playground,” he says. “The last house will be built near the others in the Denver, NC area.”

Despite the rain, turnout was great and other organizations were visible and supportive.

Former Charlotte resident Joseph Henao, who is now a military science instructor at the Citadel, participated with The Warrior Ride, a non-profit organization founded in Oak Island, North Carolina who uses cycling as a rehabilitative and morale building activity for wounded soldiers.